THE BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN RESEARCH INSTITUTE'S TEAM

Much of our success is due to the experience and knowledge of our staff who run the programs year round. Occasionally, visiting graduate students, volunteers and researchers will also be present. The researchers are biologists experienced with the study area, the animals, the research protocols, safety and other logistics.

Every member of our team is multi-talented, combining the practical skills essential to the operation of a field research program with the more traditional university, graduate and post-graduate degree education.

BDRI's Director and Chief Biologist:

Mr. Bruno Díaz López, originally from Spain, is the founder and chief biologist of the BDRI. He has published over 40 scientific articles in international journals and conferences and has delivered a number of lectures and public talks on cetacean research and conservation worldwide.

His main interests are behavioural ecology, dolphins communication and effects of human activities on bottlenose dolphins, particularly fisheries, tourism and aquaculture. Bruno has studied marine mammals since 1995, in both the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea (you can view his resume here). From the University of Santiago de Compostela and University of Vigo in Spain, he has worked in different research teams inside and outside of Europe, teaching marine mammals biology, animal behaviour and mentored graduate students. He has trained a number of research assistants and has supervised more than 50 students working on their thesis about cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

Bruno is moreover a reviewer of the most important journals of marine biology (Marine biology, ICES journal of marine science, Marine mammals science, Journal of marine biology association of the UK, Current zoology, Marine Ecology, Scientia marina, Latinoamerican Journal of Aquatic Mammals, etc.). Since 2013 Bruno is research consultant for the Environmental Agency of Abu Dhabi supervising and participating in the Dolphins Conservation Project in the Arabian Gulf. He can speak English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Galician. He is responsible for the overall goals of the project and for training and supervising field research course students, volunteers and internships.

You can visit download the resume of the BDRI's Director here or visit his profile at Research Gate.

Marine Ecologist:

- Mrs. Séverine Methion,young researcher with experience with the use of Mark-recapture techniques and analysis, and GIS Analysis applied to marine mammal populations. PhD student in the University of Bordeaux (France), European MSc in Marine Environment and Resources (Université de Bordeaux, Universidad del Pais Vasco & University of Southampton).

Severine joined the BDRI in 2015 and has since worked as a member of staff, assisting with mark-recapture analysis, field data collection in the Atlantic Ocean (Spain) and Persian Gulf (Abu Dhabi), input and analyses. Her special interest in marine mammal research was firstly highlighted by her specialisation during her master in marine biology within the Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit (Australia), studying abundance and distribution of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Perth (Australia). She is responsible for the Photo-identification work in Galician waters and for training and supervising volunteers and interns.

Research assistants, invited researchers, intern coordinators, and students are vital components of the project. These young scientists’ volunteer months of their lives in exchange for research experience. Interns are generally college seniors or recent graduates with backgrounds in biological, environmental, or marine science. Many are completing their thesis work with the BDRI. The project has had students from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Island, Israel, Italy, Japan, Nederland, Norway, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Poland, Spain, Russia, Sweden, Scotland, Switzerland, Turkey, USA and Venezuela.

So, if you want to be a part of this unique experience and are a person who is interested in going abroad and obtaining hands-on experience in dolphins research, boat based field work, intensive training while having fun and meeting people from all over the world, then you should consider to participate in one of our programs.

The BDRI is a research institute dedicated to the understanding and conservation of cetaceans and the marine environment in which they live. The Institute's BDRI centre was originally founded in Sardinia, Italy in 2005. However, since 2014 we have opened a new facility in our original location in O Grove; on the shores of Arousa Firth, Southern Galicia in Spain. This transformation has considerably improved our ability to care for and study marine mammals, providing a collaborative work environment for staff, students and volunteers from all over the world. Our research programs have helped us to understand the threats facing the dolphins and to develop strategies to manage these threats. Any reproduction of the photographs, art, or other contents is prohibited without written permission.